Charming Historical Yungaburra

Yungaburra will charm the pants off you. It’s wide streets, eclectic mix of eateries, galleries, specialty shops and boutique places to stay make this town of 1100 people very special.
It’s a town for ambling along, stopping at whatever shop, studio or café takes your fancy. There’s almost a European vibe. Except for the platypus hide. Spend a day here or use the village as your base for touring the region – its guaranteed you’ll want to come back as soon as you leave.

Historic buildings

Yungaburra’s village centre has been largely untouched since 1910 so it’s no surprise it has the highest proportion of listed buildings in Queensland outside regional centres. The old wooden buildings and beautiful cottage gardens make it not only historical but pretty. There’s plenty to see with 18 buildings listed on the Queensland Heritage Register. Wander around by yourself or take the Old Town Loop, a 3km stroll round the intact village heart. This is the largest National Trust Village in Queensland, and includes a welcome end to your amble, the Lake Eacham Hotel, more colloquially known as the Yungaburra pub.

Nick’s Restaurant

This place is always rocking for good reason: Swiss/German/Italian dishes, the best local produce and its cosy, friendly ambiance. It’s an established eatery loved by Yungaburra-ites and visitors alike. A little madcap at times, Nick’s staff are famously attentive with a good sense of humour. Go for the food but the fun and high energy are equally memorable. It’s a little bit New York diner, little bit Continental café but fuelled by good old Aussie hospitality.

Artistree Gallery

If you want retail therapy, Artistree is the cure. This gallery is all about local Atherton Tablelands people working in wood, wire, clay, oils, pastels, glass, stone, felt and photography to name a few. Its speciality is hand crafted wood items and there are also tools for sale for the wood craftsman. But it also has other homewares and gifts, wearable art, paintings and sculpture and toys. There’s something in everyone’s price range and the quality is exceptional. Be prepared to browse for some time and leave some space in the car for purchases.

Yungaburra Market

If you happen to be visiting on market day you are in luck. This market is one of the best in North Queensland and gets very busy. It’s the best kind of country market: plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, home cooking, plants and flowers, arts and crafts and clothing. There’s more than 250 stalls to browse and plenty of food and stops for sustenance. The locals are warm and friendly and you can walk away with a native plum tree, a live chook or hand-crafted wooden furniture. The Yungaburra markets are held on the fourth Saturday of every month, 7.30am to 12.30pm.

Spot a platypus

Yungaburra is one of the best places in Australia to spy perhaps the most unusual animal in the world. It’s elusive but patience will win out in the end. There’s a hide just at the end of the town where platypus is often spotted in Petersen’s Creek. It’s best to go at dusk or dawn. And go under the bridge and along the path beside the creek for better spotting opportunities or to skip the crowds at the hide. The information centre does a tally of daily platypus spottings and has lots of advice for seeing the animal in the wild; many accommodations around Yungaburra also have waterways with these wonderful animals.